International Consultant: Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) Coordinator, Venezuela

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Protection

The situation in Venezuela has changed and worsened significantly since 2015 as consequence of the protracted economic, political and social crisis. Shortage of basic goods, demonstrations, lootings, increased poverty and consequent psychosocial distress and violence, hyperinflation, exchange distortions, reduction of imports, lack of access to services, with social and political tensions rising, are some of the challenges faced by families, including boys and girls, in the country. The complex economic and socio-political dynamics triggered by the crisis are impacting the populations’ capacity to access enough and appropriate services including health, education, protection and water and sanitation.

The formal coordination of humanitarian action in response to the Venezuela crisis has been activated since July 2019 with an urgent need to scale up and strengthen coordination in all key areas of intervention including Child Protection. Therefore, the support is needed to ensure the humanitarian response in Child Protection is adequately coordinated, Child protection Minimum Standards, promoted and partners at national and subnational level adequately supported.

The Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) Coordinator is expected to provide leadership and support to the sub-regional and national child protection coordination structures within the Humanitarian Cluster Approach. To fulfill this function, a Child Protection Coordinator is needed to secure the overall cluster coordination of child protection responses at the national and subnational level in their efforts to respond to the current crisis.

How can you make a difference?

Establish and assume coordination of the Child Protection (CP) Area of Responsibility (AOR) at national level, including:

1. Maintain effective child protection coordination mechanisms at national and sub-national level

• Regular updating of mapping of child protection actors in Venezuela and related sectors of interventions/capacities (5Ws and local partners including Community Based Child Protection Networks and Community Based Organizations)
• Ensure two-way communication with Child Protection Working Groups in the field and respond to their requests
• In a participatory manner, develop and support implementation of the Child Protection AoR Work Plan for 2021
• Ensure all Child Protection relevant actors are engaged as AoR members and adhere to the Principles of Partnership and the humanitarian Principles
• Produce/contribute to Protection Cluster and inter-clusters’ reports and analysis (e.g. quarterly sectoral reports, CHF reports etc)
• Contribute to strengthening and building stronger relationships with local partners and actors to enhance engagement and response inside Venezuela;
• Ensure Child Protection needs are identified, analyzed and included in the Humanitarian Needs Overview
• Ensure adequate resources are mobilized and are equitably allocated for the effective functioning of the sector and its response;
• Effective and comprehensive integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including age, gender, diversity;
• Effectively use and transfer information to, from and between AoR’s participants and other stakeholders;
• Ensure action-oriented and effective engagement with other clusters (including through inter-cluster coordination fora), humanitarian actors and relevant national authorities for integration of Child Protection concerns, operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners;
• Contribute to relevant reports, provide information to and contribute to UN reports covering the child protection AoR.
• Ensure proper coaching and mentoring of sub-national coordinators

2. Guarantee effective and quality child protection preparedness and response

• Provide Child Protection contribution in the 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview and Humanitarian Response Plan
• Conduct a capacity building assessment and develop a capacity building and mentoring plan
• Participate as needed in interagency/inter-cluster Child Protection needs assessments, lead inter-agency child protection assessments to identify priority child protection issues and advocate for delivery of appropriate response
• Identify response gaps and promote members’ response (including activation of provider of last resort with CLA)
• Ensure mobilization of resources through humanitarian funding mechanisms in Venezuela, including Pooled Fund, HF.

3. Ensure that child protection concerns, and standards are appropriately reflected in inter-cluster humanitarian coordination fora.

• Participate and contribute in Protection, GBV and other relevant cluster’ meetings
• Contribute to strengthening and building stronger relationships with Protection cluster, GBV AoR, and any other relevant coordination group in Venezuela.
• Participate in Inter-Cluster Coordination Mechanisms and provide Child Protection inputs to the Humanitarian Country Team plans and meetings.
• Work with Protection Cluster to ensure Child protection mainstreaming
• Collaborate with other relevant clusters to promote integrated programming (eg. Education, Health and Food, Security)
• Ensure advocacy messages are developed with sector members on relevant Child Protection issues and brought to the relevant for a including HCT and donor’s meetings.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in child protection and/or humanitarian emergencies, including in coordination functions.

  • Advance knowledge of child protection approaches, practices and applications.

  • Excellent analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills.

  • Excellent Spanish and English writing and editing skills.

  • Experience working in emergency contexts

  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at:

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.